NAVY LEAGUE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18410, 17 June 1925, Page 11

NAVY LEAGUE.

PROTECTION OP THE PACIFIC. (MOU OUR OWX COUXSSOXniXT.? LONDON, April 24. The Marquoss of Luditbgow and Sir Cyril Cobb, MJ, as president acd chairman respectively of the Xavy League, have issued the annual St. George's Day message to. its branches on behalf of tho Executive Committee. The message asks<whether, under the conditions of the day, that security *f sea communications whieh is the basi* of the British Empire is firm ami Bare? It, refers to the recent securing oi a contract for building fire motor vetcseut by a German firm, and welcomes ta# proposal for a conference between all classes interested in shipbuilding and shipping to enquire into the conditio** which have' led to this shock to oar complacency. '. It is then .pointed oot that oi cruisers of the maximum power permitted by tho Washington - Treaty, live only: «w boing built by- this country as agaiwt eight building or projected .isv .tti» United States and Japan respectively. The balance is, however, redrewad by the fine examplo set to the Empire, fey tho Commonwealth of Australia in placing orders for two cruisers. ° After expressing satisfaction at.tho decision to proceed with the reeoß*txsetion of tho naval base at Singapore* and expressing gratitude for tho .aefiMi taken by Hong-Kong and; tho Strait Settlements in connexion therewith, th« message-proceeds:— "From tho beginning of the eenlcry, to the overthrow of German sea ptm«? in 1918, the nation was braced «p t» moet a particular and evident danger. Now that the danger has been nwt aa-I overcome and the • nation-is still exhausted by the effort, it is natural that the question should. be asked, *Whav danger is there still to be fearedf "Way call for further efforts? Wpl not th» peace wo all desire be best maiataiiwd by showing trust in other nations and refraining from preparations which nay. be construed as showing suspicion of their designs?' *

. Sense of Socasttjr. "We reply that.peace is best nuiatained by a sense of security. W» foresee tto specific danger, but we cut* not afford to overlook the fact that t»« focus of sea-power has shifted frost European waters to the Pacific, aad that the peoples of the British Beatiaions in that part of the globe- most necessarily feel disquiet if the Jfavy, on which they rely for their protecttu, is inadequate in numbers, power, or accommodation to render them proiceUoa in case of emergency. Such emerges*? might arise oat of questions in wind* we are not directly interested but in which the inhabitants of those regions could scarcely avoid being involved. The question of peaee or war nighl very well depend in such circumstances on the confidence of the British penpfru in the abilitv of the British Navy to protect them* from a violation of their interests. We do not wish to laboer the point. To do so would bad ns into realms of " political eoatrorvrswhich are outside the province of the Navy League. But we wish.to draw attention to one pregnant fact. Ja the course of this year the Coshwm* wealth and New Zealand will, for thj second timo 'sinco the century began, welcome a fully-organised American battle-fleet. They have never y«4 set eyes on a British battle-fleet. They may well ask themselves to whom titer aro to look for the 'sure shield' if the day of trouble should dawn? . "That a nation with great interest* in any part of the world should haw the power to protect those interests is. surely, the best guarantee of peace, a&4 it is iu the interest of peace that we appeal toour feUaw-countryawnto gjrre some serious thought to these qnesSMss. and to support the Navy Xeagos ia its efforts to bring the" fact home to iV; peoples of the Empire.**